Ulrika Jonsson has admitted that she “didn’t recognize herself anymore” and was “pretty devastated” before making the decision to give up alcohol.
The TV personality, 57, gave up alcohol for good in June and asked for help after previously admitting she often “blacked out” after binge drinking alone.
And in a candid new post shared to Instagram on Thursday, Ulrika marked her milestone of six months of sobriety and credited her loved ones for helping her get this far.
In her post, the former Gladiators star shared a photo of herself currently, as well as an older photo of herself “under the influence,” which she admitted she previously “couldn’t stand” to look at.
Detailing her path to sobriety, Ulrika wrote: “Today I am six months sober. On June 5, 2024, I had the gift of desperation and asked for help. I no longer recognized myself and I surrendered.
‘Many people have asked me how I did it and all I can say is that no woman is an island; I haven’t done it alone. The willingness to give up alcohol came from me, yes, but without the support of my friends, my family, and my new tribe, I wouldn’t have made it this far.
Ulrika Jonsson has admitted that she “didn’t recognize herself anymore” and was “pretty devastated” before making the decision to give up alcohol.
In her post, the former Gladiators star shared a photo of herself currently, as well as an older photo of herself “under the influence,” which she admitted she previously “couldn’t stand” to look at.
‘This is a journey and not a destination. It never ends. It is a process in progress. But once you decide to make changes, beautiful things happen.’
The mother of four went on to say: ‘It’s been difficult and I’m sure it will continue to be difficult, but I’m learning serenity and I’ve gained an inner peace that I’ve never had before.’
“The confusion inside me is dissipating and I am learning to accept the things I cannot change and I am finding the courage to change the things I can.”
Referring to the image in which she was “drunk”, Ulrika added: “Photo. 2: It’s of me in the middle of madness. Another drunk moment. At first I couldn’t bear to look at photos of myself under the influence of alcohol again. The cloak of shame was too heavy a burden.
‘But now I look at those images and feel sorry and sympathetic for that little girl: she desperately needed to be picked up; He hugged tightly and helped. Not ashamed or judged. I was pretty devastated and had no idea there was any other way.
Concluding his post, he shared, “There’s a lot more to say, and I’ll say it in time.” I am still at the beginning of my journey but my life has changed in a beautiful way. It’s something spiritual. One day at a time…
‘Thank you to everyone who has supported me: my 4 Ingrates; my best friend and close friends. And of course, my new tribe of friends who help keep me upright; showing me the way without judging.’
Ulrika’s message was met with words of congratulations and encouragement from her fans and showbiz friends, including Kirsty Gallacher, Grace Dent and Helen Skelton.
In a candid new post shared to Instagram on Thursday, Ulrika marked her milestone of six months of sobriety and credited her loved ones for helping her get this far.
Last month, Ulrika marked five months of sobriety by posting a message on a black screen on her Instagram stories, where 204,000 people follow her.
She simply wrote: ‘5 months sober today #sobriety #serenity #clarity.’
In October, she revealed her decision to quit alcohol and how she realized her relationship with alcohol was destructive.
The presenter revealed that He used to consume alcohol to ‘remember the good times’. and often passed out after drinking heavily alone.
she said the sun: ‘(Alcohol) quelled my anger. I was angry at the world for all kinds of reasons. I would drink to remember the good times and forget the bad times.’
Ulrika explained that while she drank to “kill her anxious feelings,” she was actually a “functional binge drinker” and never vomited or looked disheveled.
“But the number of times I passed out and couldn’t remember the night before when I had been drinking alone was increasing.”
‘(Alcohol) was the perfect escape from my problems. When I drank, I felt like I became a better person, kinder and more prepared to cope. The truth, of course, was quite the opposite. Drinking made my anxiety worse, which meant I “self-medicated” with a drink. This would calm me down temporarily and then come back with a vengeance.
Last month, Ulrika marked five months of sobriety by posting a message on a black screen on her Instagram stories, where 204,000 people follow her.
In October, Ulrika revealed that she used to consume alcohol to “remember the good times” and that she would often “pass out” after binge drinking alone.
She said: ‘(Alcohol) quelled my anger. I was angry at the world for all kinds of reasons. I would drink to remember the good times and forget the bad times.’ (pictured in 2022)
Ulrika recalled how her friend phoned one morning to reveal that they had spoken the night before when the TV favorite was so drunk she was meaningless.
The Swedish star said she “cried like a little girl” after the talk and was “full of despair” as she realized she actually had a destructive relationship with alcohol.
Heavy episodic drinking refers to consuming 60 grams or more of alcohol (the equivalent of 7.5 units) on at least one occasion in the past 30 days.
This is the same as drinking just over three pints of medium-strength beer, or five small glasses of wine, or around seven gin and tonics in one gulp in one sitting.
Ulrika’s six-month sobriety milestone comes days after she claimed Gregg Wallace cried after being reprimanded for making a “rape joke” that left one MasterChef contestant “really distraught” and forced another to change the set.
Gregg, 60, walked away from MasterChef last week after 13 people, including Newsnight presenter Kirsty Wark, accused him of “incorrect” and inappropriate “sexualised” behavior during filming.
And Ulrika, who appeared on Celebrity MasterChef in 2017, claimed a contestant was very upset by her ‘rape joke’, prompting another person to storm off the set and complain to her bosses.
‘Then they went to talk to Gregg. After a while he appeared… and apologized. He could barely pronounce his words. “He was apologizing and had tears in his eyes,” she said.
Ulrika’s six-month sobriety milestone comes days after she claimed Gregg Wallace cried after being reprimanded for making a ‘rape joke’ that left one MasterChef contestant ‘really distraught’ and forced another to change the set.
Gregg, 60, walked away from MasterChef last week after 13 people, including Newsnight presenter Kirsty Wark, accused him of “incorrect” and inappropriate “sexualised” behavior during filming.
‘Then they went to talk to Gregg. After a while he appeared… and apologized. He could barely pronounce his words. “He was apologizing and had tears in his eyes,” she said (pictured in August).
But he added: ‘The apology should have been for everyone. She felt like, you know, “don’t make the joke in the first place” and said she “definitely” felt uncomfortable on set after her joke.
Gregg has also been accused of Rod Stewart of being a ‘bully’ towards his wife Penny Lancaster.
The singer launched a furious rant at the Masterchef host, calling him a ‘chubby, bald, rude bully’ for ‘humiliating’ his wife when he appeared on Celebrity MasterChef in 2021.
Meanwhile, other witnesses have claimed that he wandered around the MasterChef studio naked with a sock covering his penis.
A total of 13 people complained about Wallace’s conduct while working with him over a 17-year period across five shows from 2005 to 2022, the BBC revealed.